Microsoft testing Windows Phone 7 apps on Windows 8, claims WP7 app

Is Microsoft planning on allowing developers to simply republish their Windows Phone 7 code and run it on Windows 8? Well, that’s what one Windows Phone 7 app thinks. “I’m a WP7” is an app that tracks the version numbers and codenames of all the devices it runs on, and is reporting that one percent of it’s users are using Windows 8.

One percent of users are reportedly using build 8283 and 8288, which is more recent that the Windows 8 Consumer Preview which was released on February 29.

I’m a WP7 also claims that the codename of this particular Windows Phone version is Jupiter, which is Microsoft’s new user interface library on Windows. Some say that Jupiter allows developers to port and run Windows Phone apps that were built in Silverlight on Windows 8.

Obviously this could just be an error within the app, so take what you see with a grain of salt.

Does this mean Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 are going to have a close relationship? It looks like Microsoft are trying to unify not only the user interface, but the apps and feel of both operating systems. I guess we’ll find out when the Release Candidate for Windows 8 arrives sometime later this year.